Iran Christian children denied separate religious instruction

Christian Solidarity
Worldwide (CSW) has been informed that children from families belonging
to the Church of Iran denomination in the cities of Rasht and Shiraz have
been told they must either study Shi’a Islam, or leave school.

The majority of these
children are second generation Christians. As part of a minority faith
community recognised in the Iranian constitution, they are allowed, by law, to
have access to religious instruction designed by members of the Christian
community, and approved by the Ministry of Education.

Until recently,
their families were able to present a signed letter from the denomination
that exempted them from studying Shi’a Islam. However, the authorities are
now rejecting this letter on the grounds that the church is an “illegal
organisation”, and are insisting the children either agree to study Islam,
or go home. Sources in the denomination have told CSW that “the message is
clear: convert or leave.”

Under Article
30 of the Iranian constitution, the government is obligated to provide
free education for all children until they complete secondary school.
However, the policy adopted by school authorities in Rasht and Shiraz
effectively deprives children who are currently in primary and secondary
school of education unless they agree to religious instruction that does
not conform with their own faith.

Iran is party
to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which
recognises the right of parents to ensure the religious and moral education
of their children in line with their own convictions, and has ratified the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR),
which also recognises this right. The country has also ratified the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which commits
signatories to ensuring access to primary, secondary and tertiary education.

CSW’s Chief
Executive Mervyn Thomas says: “It is worrying that the education of so
many children will be unduly interrupted until their parents agree for
them to study a religion different to their own. Education is a basic
right which Iran has undertaken to guarantee to all of its citizens. Children
should not be victimised in an effort to penalise their parents for
exercising the right to adopt a religion of their choice. Since education
is the responsibility of central government, we urge the Special Rapporteur on
the right to education and other key international human rights experts to
make urgent representations with President Rouhani, with a view to ensuring
the country fulfils its national and international obligations to respect
the right of the child to education, and particularly to religious
education commensurate with the convictions and beliefs of their parents.”

In other news,
Church of Iran member Suroush Saraie, who was rearrested on 18 July,
is now in Adelabad Prison. He was initially taken to Pelak 100, a notorious
detention centre run by the Intelligence Services (VEVAK). CSW is
informed that while there, attempts were made to pressurise him into making an
unspecified "confession".

Mr Saraie
was rearrested at his home in Shiraz after being released early from Adelabad
Prison in November 2015. Another Church of Iran member, Eskandar Rezaie, was rearrested on 6 July, after being
released temporarily from Adelabad Prison in December 2015. Both men were
initially arrested on 12 October 2012, along with
five other Christians, during a raid on a prayer meeting, and were found
guilty of ‘action against national security’ and ‘propaganda against the
order of the system’. Mr Saraie received a two-and-a-half year sentence on 16
July 2013, later upheld on appeal, which he began serving in July 2014. Mr
Rezaie was given a one year sentence, which he began serving in July
2015.

“These re-arrests
and the initial transfer of Mr Saraie to the notorious detention
centre are deeply disturbing. Despite the country’s constitutional
and international obligations, Iran continues to criminalise members of the
Christian community for exercising their right to the freedoms of religion
or belief and association. Once again, we call on the international
community not to neglect human rights issues during dialogues with Iran,
and to urge the government to release all prisoners of conscience, and to
respect the right of every citizen to freedom of religion or belief.” Mr Thomas added.

Notes to Editors:

1. CORRECTION: In
an earlier press release, CSW stated in that four Christians from the
Church of Iran, including Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, would be appearing before
the Appeal Court in Tehran on 4 September. We have now been informed the
correct date for this hearing is 4 October. We apologize for any
inconvenience caused by this error.